Lobster muzzle



Patented Sept. 7, 1937 pairs sates OFFIQE LOBSTER MUZZLE ApplicationMarch 2, 1936, Serial No. 66,772

3 Claims.

This invention relates to lobster muzzles.

It is of importance in the lobster industry to prevent captured livelobsters from losing their claws and to this end it is important to holdthe movable jaw of each claw from movement. Ordinarily, when a number oflobsters are confined together they tend to fight and it is well knownthat when a claw is injured the lobster may readily discard it whichresults in a loss of a valuable portion of the meat. In the past it hasbeen usual to prevent the movable jaw of a lobsters claw from moving byinserting between the movable jaw and the claw, at the point where theformer is hinged to the latter, a wooden plug which has been driven intothe claw, thus holding the movable jaw in fixed position. However, theuse of plugs of this character causes the lobster to lose vitality and.will generally injure the lobster so that on the one hand the recoveredmeat is not of as good aQqualityand on the other hand, injury of thischaracter may cause the lobster to discard his claws, resulting in theloss of the delicate meat of the claws. It has also been proposed to userubber bands to encircle the jaws of each claw thereby to hold themovable jaw stationary. However, rubber bands, it is apparent, willdeteriorate very quickly and apart from this they are rather difficultto put on. i

It is therefore an object of the present invention to avoid thedisadvantages of present practice and to provide a simple type of muzzlewhich can be readily applied to lobster claws and which will hold themovable jaw stationary without injuring the claw.

A further object of the invention is to provide a practical article ofthis character which can be manufactured readily and marketedeconomically.

With these and other objects in View the invention consists essentiallyin a muzzle formed from a single piece of metal of greater length thanwidth to provide a band adapted to encircle a lobsters claw, the bandhaving at least one portion cut out along its length to form at leastone slot, preferably to receive a projection of the claw, the cut outportion being integrally connected with the band and having one end freeto form. an integral tie member, the latter being bent over the band andprojecting beyond the end thereof. Preferably the band is provided withtwo out out portions forming a pair of ties projecting beyond the endsof the band, one of the slots formed by the cut out portions providingmeans for receiving a projection on the claws of the lobster and thedivision between said slots abuts the projection on the lobsters claw,facilitating the application of the muzzle to the claw. In addition eachtie member is preferably given a channel-like form to facilitatelocking, as fully described in the following specification andillustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a frontelevation of the preferred form of muzzle.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the muzzle shown in Figure1.

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure l is a rear elevation of a band formed with flat tying'members. l

Figure 5 is a pictorial illustration of a lobsters claw showing themuzzle applied thereto.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of an alternative form ofconstruction.

Figure '7 is a rear elevation of a further alternative form ofconstruction employing only one tie, and I Figure 8 is a transversesection taken through a lobsters claw, showing the type of muzzleillustrated in Figure 7 applied to the claw.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to Figures 1-3, A indicatesthe muzzle as a whole which consists of a single piece of metal forminga band H] of greater length than width, which is adapted to encircle theclaw of a lobster. The band is cut out along its length to formseparated slots II and I2, the division between the slots being providedby an integral strip of metal 13 extending transversely of the band. Theportions l4 cut out to form the slots H and I2 are bent away from thehand, one end integrally connecting with the band, the opposite free endand the major part of said portion extending over and beyond the ends ofthe band to provide tie members of appropriate length. One of the slotsII and I2 is designed to receive a projecting member 15 which is locatedon an outer edge of the movable jaw I6 of a, lobsters claw B theprojection being common in all lobsters and occurring on the movable jawat a point directly adjacent to the hinge H (see Figure 5).

In mounting the muzzle upon the claw, the projection I5 is permitted toprotrude through one of the slots II or [2 and the strip [3 is broughtto abut the projection l5 whereby the band is folded around the clawand, with the strip 13 abutting the projection I5, the free ends of theband are positively positioned adjacent to the opposite edge of the clawso that the ties I4, which then lie adjacent to each other projectingbeyond said opposite edge of the claw, may be grasped and twisted tolock the muzzle on the claw.

It will be apparent, having regard to the fact that the gradually curvedsurface of the claw is elongated in character, that the band cannot Slipoff the claw once locked and the projection I5 further serves to preventthe muzzle from moving to any decided degree upon the claw.

The tie members I4 are, according to the pre ferred form ofconstruction, bent to channel shape as indicated at I8, see particularlyFigure 3, thus to provide tie members of semi-rigid character wherebythey will readily twist one upon the other in a very simple operationand provide a relatively strong structure of tie. Tie members, ofcourse, may be left in their natural state as struck from the band,namely flat as shown in Figure 5, but when using this type of tie memberthe twisting operation is a little more difficult and the ties are notas substantial.

In Figure 6 I have shown a structure wherein an additional slot I9 isformed substantially midway between the ends of the band Ill to receivethe projection I5 on the lobster claw, the additional slot beingseparated from the slots IE and II by integral transverse strips 20 andii, either of which may be engaged with the projec tion I5. In addition,I have also shown a projecting offset apron 22 which may engage thesurface of the movable jaw of the claw, the apron 22 abutting that partof the claw in which the movable jaw is hinged and extending over aportion of the hinge.

In Figure 7 I have shown a slightly modified form of band which is verysimilar to the forms described with the exception that only one tiemember I4 is provided, the cut-out portion from the slot I2 having beencompletely severed. The slot I2 therefore acts as part of the securingmeans co-operating with the tie I4 and the integral strip I3 is sopositioned that when the projection I5 on the claw protrudes through theslot II the end of slot I2 is positioned adjacent to or projecting overthe opposite edge of the claw whereby the single tie member I4 may beprojected through the slot I2 and bent over to one side of the claw, asshown in Figure 8, so that the muzzle is then locked on the claw. The

tie member I4 in this form of construction may be and preferably is ofchannel form.

In the foregoing it will be realized that I have provided a lobstermuzzle which may be easily applied to and looked upon the lobster clawso that it cannot be displaced and which will not injure the claw. Itwill be apparent also that the construction is relatively durable and.can be readily manufactured in quantity and marketed at an economicalfigure.

Various modifications may be made in this invention without departingfrom the spirit thereof or the scope of the claims, and therefore theexact forms shown are to be taken as illustrative only and not in alimiting sense, and it is desired that only such limitations shall beplaced thereon as are disclosed in the prior art or are set forth in theaccompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A lobster muzzle comprising a single piece of metal of greater lengththan width forming a band adapted to encircle a lobster claw, said bandhaving a portion cut out along its length to form at least one slot forreceiving a projection on the claw, said portion cut out from said bandhaving one end free and its opposite end connected integrally with theband to form an integral tie member, the latter being bent over the bandand a major portion projecting beyond one end thereof, said tie memberbeing bendable to secure the band around a claw.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 in which the integral tie member isof channeled cross section.

3. A lobster muzzle comprising a single piece of metal of greater lengththan width forming a band adapted to encircle a lobster claw, said bandhaving portions cut out along its length to form at least one slot forreceiving a projection on the claw, said portions cut out from said bandhaving one end free and their opposite ends connecting integrally withthe band to form integral tie members, the latter being bent in oppositedirections over the band and projecting beyond the opposite endsthereof, said tie members lying adjacent to one another when said muzzleis folded around a lobster claw whereby they may be twisted together tolock the muzzle on the claw.

ERNEST WARD ASHTON.

